China halts Australian lobster imports

ADELAIDE, Australia, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- China has halted the importation of Australian lobsters pending trade negotiations.

Andrew Laurie, a South Australian lobster exporter, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Sunday the ban will cost millions of dollars. Lobster is caught in the Australian states of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.

"We're at a loss to understand why it's only Aussie lobster that's being singled out," Laurie said.

Prices for lobster plummeted from $80 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) to $30 on news of the Chinese ban. Only Australian lobsters have been banned. New Zealand and South Africa can still sell their lobsters to the Chinese.